vector® award

...for inspiring energy supply solutions......E-ChainSystems® with cables......induction and wireless...

Modern plastic energy chains® are the umbilical cord of the automation, machine and plant engineering industries. These energy chains® ensure the safe supply of energy, data, pulses and operating media and are always in motion. Energy chains® are suitable for multipurpose use in the crane and machine tool industries and in the robotics and clean room industries.

Handling system ”roboLoop“

The ”roboLoop“ system itself offers manyways to optimise the fabrication sequences.

Handling system ”roboLoop“    

High speed camera positioning

The rail & Tracking systems are used wherever fast camera movements are an important factor as, for example, at sport competitions, but also at many popular events such as concerts, stage shows, etc.

High speed camera positioning    

OpenHydro tidal turbine

A plastic chain makes any kind of maintenance on the open sea obsolete; a conventional metal chain would not be adequate for the combination of technical, climatic and mechanical requirements.

OpenHydro tidal turbine    

Data gloves

Theproblem with previous data glove solutionswas that the sensors in the gloveswere subject to extreme loads and thatmovement signals were also producedunintentionally during sideways movements.

Data gloves    

Reflector telescope

This telescope has been installed on theCanary Island of La Palma and registersthe gamma rays that strike the earth fromouter space.

Reflector telescope    

Media elevator

A solution for media elevators previously unavailable in the market has now beenrealised with igus® E-Chain Systems®.

Media elevator    

Fast-running gate for refrigerator rooms

The door systems in this application guaranteethat the temperatures prescribed for the productand storage of perishable products, such asfood, are strictly observed.

Fast-running gate for refrigerator rooms    

Mobile welding carrier

The destination point for the energy and control is variable and can lie at a height of ten meters.

Mobile welding carrier    

Sewage treatment plant

The used igus® products prove themselves till today and drastically reduce the maintenance input.

Sewage treatment plant    

Elevator in the Post Tower

The previous travelling cables below the elevator cars were exposed to a steady air draft through an enforced ventilation for the smoke detector system and an undesirable sideward movement developed.

Elevator in the Post Tower    

Gear-grinding machine

This application showed that a vertical stroke of more than one metre and a swivellingrange of 270° can be implemented in the limited installation space of the grinding headin a gear-grinding machine.

Gear-grinding machine    

Injection moulding tool

TheE-Chain® was installed on an injection moulding tool so thatno additional space is necessary in horizontal direction forthe unreeling movement.

Injection moulding tool    

Cable guide on the robot

In the case of this industrial robot, a rigid pipe between the 3rd and 6th axis wasreplaced by a multidimensional, flexible Triflex® R energy chain®.

Cable guide on the robot    

Tunnel boring machine

This machine moves deeply through the earthand is used to drill tunnels using the excavationby mining technique.

Tunnel boring machine    

Underwater boring machine

This drill, the Vibrocorer VKG-6, is used in extremely demanding environments. a

Underwater boring machine    

Friction welding machine

For this application, aircraft engine parts arewelded together.

Friction welding machine    

Laser measuring telescope

The rotary motion in both directions by up to 310° is also possible at high speeds of up to 20 meters per second.

Laser measuring telescope    

Elevatordoors ”Optilight“

Since most elevator malfunctions are the result of defective doors, an extremely reliable, space-saving solution became necessary here.

Elevatordoors ”Optilight“    

”Virtu“ large-format printer

The ”Virtu“ large-format printer can be used to print almost anything: sheetmetal, foils, textiles, wood, glass, and, of course, also paper in widths up3.5 metres.

”Virtu“ large-format printer    

Cable guide on the robot

In the case of these robots, the hosepackage had to be replaced very fewweeks.

Cable guide on the robot    

Sailboat engine ”Combiprop“

This newly developed stern thruster helps sailboats during difficult manoeuvres such as, for example, passages through locks;but because of its high performance, it can also be used as a main drive unit.

Sailboat engine ”Combiprop“    

Marking unit for steel plates

The marking system moves like a robot with several axles. In the process, the energy supply system should remain accessible and should be laid as compact as possible in the machine to prevent collisions with other machines.

Marking unit for steel plates    

Medical simulator

Medical students and physicians can practise diverse vascular surgicalinterventions on this device.

Medical simulator    

Dummy robot

A very high acceleration provided an enormouschallenge for the design engineers of this robot.

Dummy robot    

Furnace for the steel industry

This newly developed gas-fired furnace only requires onethirdof the usual time to heat up rollers in the steel industry

Furnace for the steel industry    

Palletising system

This energy chain® in the palletising system of a dairy is subject toextreme load with more than 5,000 strokes a day.

Palletising system    

Assembly crane

This crane in a truck assembly plant is used to unload andtransport the individual vehicle chassis at the beginning of the assembly process.

Assembly crane    

Mobile operating table

To control andsupply the lying surface area, data and electrical cables, including hydraulic hoses, are run along the column.

Mobile operating table    

Saw mill

Even sawdust does not constitute any problem for igus® E-Chains®.

Saw mill    

Inclined hoist

Almost daily failures of this inclined hoist in the URBIS art centre in the Manchester citycentre have become a thing of the past with the deployment of the igus® E-Chain®.

Inclined hoist    

Adjustable speaker’s desk

This height-adjustable design speaker’sdesk is very flexible in its features.

Adjustable speaker’s desk    

Cutting tool

The igus® E-Chain® E6 demonstrates its strengths inthe case of this cutting tool.

Cutting tool    

Spray-painting robot

In this application in a painting robot, the ATEX properties of the energy supply system are of primary importance.

Spray-painting robot    

Workpiece storage location

This workpiece storage location is designedfor automated shift operation. At the same time, the energy supply mustbe provided in all four axes of motion(three linear axes and one rotational axis).

Workpiece storage location    

Machine tools

The modules are made of a cable-preserving plastic with high frictional resistance.

Machine tools    

Robot for printed circuit boardhandling

For the handling of printed circuit boards, a six-axis robot is used in the case of this application instead of the usual linear systems.

Robot for printed circuit boardhandling    

Machine tool for workpieces

To save installation space and toreduce forces and torques, an E-Chain® was wound around a gripper.

Machine tool for workpieces    

SCARA robot

The special feature of thisapplication is the hot chips produced during the machining process, which do not stick tothe igus® E-Chain® and therefore extremely reduce the maintenance expenditure as a result.

SCARA robot    

Piling and drilling rigs

The driven boring machine produces extremevibrations and heavy soiling duringthe work process.

Piling and drilling rigs    

Game of minigolf

The igus® E-Chain® B17 was just completely alienated from its intended purpose for this clever application.

Game of minigolf    

Pallet changer

In the case of this application, the worksafety was increased by integrating theenergy supply system into the body of thepallet changer.

Pallet changer    

Temporary display

Visible for approx. only one minute are these pictures, which are ”printed“ with UV lighton a light-sensitive screen.

Temporary display    

Stronger in the circle

Until recently, you could not purchase a solution anywhere in the world for this application.

Stronger in the circle    

Two-girder bridge crane

With the perfectly fitting energy supplysystem for this crane system, the overalldimension for the installation was considerablyreduced.

Two-girder bridge crane    

Laser-welding-robot

This laser welding robot works extremely fast. Here, a very flexible and, above all, fail-safe energy supply system is required.

Laser-welding-robot    

B-axis motor spindle

The used E-Chain® of the E2 mini family is suitable for all requirements and has already completed six years without failure.

B-axis motor spindle    

Door drives

In the case of these gate drive units, different products from all the igus® divisions are used.

Door drives    

Large Binocular Telescope

After its completion, this giant telescope in Arizona(USA) will look deep into our universe; the two mainmirrors each have diameter of 8.4 metres.

Large Binocular Telescope    

Adhesive resin system

In the case of this adhesive resin system, a lifting platform moves upwardto a height three or four times a day to empty barrels with a volume ofapprox. 200 litres.

Adhesive resin system    

Sewage treatment plant

The existing system with a motor cable drum proved to be not resistant enough in the difficult outdoor environmental conditions, and was replaced by a flizz® system.

Sewage treatment plant    

Multiple hoses

Previously, several individual hoses had to be fastened in the energy supplysystem to prevent them from squeezing each other.

Multiple hoses    

CNC grinding machine

Incidental grinding residues and the used oil cannot influence the energy supply systems.

CNC grinding machine    

Wafer handling

One igus® E-Chain® of the E6 family accelerates the work sequences in the case of this application for wafer handling in the chip production industry.

Wafer handling    

Measuring system for extruder

Measuring and regulating system in the area of blown film extrusion

Measuring system for extruder    

Portal milling machine

The previously used energy supply system as a rule wore out after nine months; the cables were destroyed by hot chips, which led to production failures.

Portal milling machine    

Cable guide on the robot

Prior to the use of the E-Chain®, the cables were fastened with cable ties. That frequently led to entangled cables and the corkscrew effect, which lets the cables become susceptible to core ruptures.

Cable guide on the robot    

Dismantling tool

During the removal of a nuclear power plant, 14 metre-high steel tanks are milled into small metal chips. At the same time, a milling cutter, which is used as a dismantling tool, must be inserted precisely into the tank from above.

Dismantling tool    

Wood processing
machine

These applications are dependent on a compact energy supply system, for which the accumulating wood chips do not matter.

Wood processing machine    

Weigh station

As large heavy quantities are to be weighed, the existing energy supply system had to contend with high wear.

Weigh station    

Cameras in the greenhouse

Monitoring of the growth of plants in a conservatory.

Cameras in the greenhouse    

Spray-painting robot

In this paint-spraying machine, sensors aremoved over minimum space.

Spray-painting robot    

Firm cable for high transmission

For some applications that require high electric power, conventional copper cables aretoo heavy.

Firm cable for high transmission    
Further interesting applications from extremely diverse areas can be found here.

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